Man gets jail time for assault

May 15, 2013

JOHNSTOWN - The mother of a man brutally assaulted with a metal pole by a Broadalbin man in January 2012 told the assailant Tuesday he showed a "violent disregard for human life" before he was led off to state prison for four years.

Cory Blinsinger, 24, of Stevers Mills Road, was sentenced by Fulton County Court Judge Richard C. Giardino to the prison time in connection with the January 2012 assault of Brandon Parrow and Bryan Pitt.

Blinsinger was charged with second-degree assault by Gloversville police on Feb. 16, 2012. He was indicted in August by a county grand jury, charged with first-degree assault, first-degree attempted assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

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Blinsinger

"Our lives have been changed forever," Michele Hendrickson, Parrow's mother, said in her victim impact statement read in court. "No amount of prison time will be enough because Mr. Blinsinger will get his life back when released."

"No parent should ever have to receive a call from a hysterical daughter who just witnessed her brother attacked. No parent should have to see their son strapped to a board covered in blood. No parent should have to hear a doctor say they didn't expect your son to live. No family should have their lives changed forever because of the irresponsible actions of a stranger."

Hendrickson said Blinsinger was "unknown" to her children and had "other options" in the attack.

"He chose to show up with a weapon and repeatedly chose to swing it at people with no regard to the damage it would cause," she said. "Again, he chose."

Blinsinger pleaded guilty March 1 before Giardino to one count of first-degree attempted assault, a Class C violent felony offense.

Gloversville police said Blinsinger attacked Parrow and Pitt with the handle of a car jack at 3:08 a.m. Jan. 7, 2012, on South Judson Street in Gloversville.

"The judge at sentencing commented on the violent nature of the crime," Fulton County District Attorney Louise Sira said today.

She said the families of the victims are "absolutely very satisfied" with the four years in prison Blinsinger received.

Sira noted Blinsinger was called to the scene of the assault after words were exchanged between Parrow and Blinsinger's friends at a party on Hawk Street in Gloversville.

"Blinsinger drove to Judson Street, exited his vehicle with what is believed to be a handle of a car jack and struck an unarmed and defenseless Parrow in the head twice," Sira said.

Sira said Blinsinger's strike fractured Parrow's skull. She said the pair didn't know each other.

Sira said Blinsinger also struck Pitt in the head. Pitt, who suffered a concussion, was treated at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady.

Parrow was transported by helicopter to Albany Medical Center Hospital, where he was treated for an open skull fracture. Sira said the victim had a titanium plate surgically inserted into his head to aid his recovery. Parrow has since recovered from the incident.

Hendrickson said her 95-pound daughter witnessed the attack and had the pipe swung at her. She said her daughter is "no longer able to be at social functions, her trust in people has been destroyed."

"The stress and anxiety Mr. Blinsinger's actions have caused our family cannot adequately be put into words," she said. "It is sad to us to also think how this has impacted Mr. Blinsinger's own family."

Sira said Blinsinger pleaded to an "attempted" assault count as "part of the process," although he was convicted of actually assaulting Parrow. She said he may have been convicted of a more severe count or counts if the victim hadn't made a full recovery.